A review by literalottie
Paper Towns by John Green

funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Well, this is actually a bit more mediocre than I remember it being.

There is one key issue that I have with Paper Towns: the deconstruction of the "manic pixie dream girl" trope is just not very well-executed. In fact, John Green had already done it well a few years prior with Looking for Alaska, and this just feels like a poor imitation with shallower characters and a flimsier plot.

Margo is just so, so selfish, and I have a hard time sympathising with her towards the end. I mean,
how can she get mad at her friend for coming to find her (after essentially abandoning everyone who cared about her) when SHE was the one who left the trail of breadcrumbs? And yes, she does explain her intentions behind the clues, and how she didn't actually intend them to lead to her, but honestly her excuses just feel like a pathetic attempt to deflect from all of the frustration she puts everyone through
. As for Q, he spends so much of this book being almost as self-centred as Margo. I actually felt bad for his friends with how little regard and care he shows them. And that's saying something, because Q's friends, along with the other side characters, all range from uninteresting to aggravating. Lacey and Radar are the only ones that I maybe liked.

The one saving grace of this book, the one thing that keeps it from getting a 1/1.5 star rating, is the road trip which makes up most of the final third. It is full of genuinely hilarious moments and interactions that actually made me like the characters, even if just for that brief section. I haven't watched the film adaptation of Paper Towns, but I would do so purely to see those scenes adapted for the screen.
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